Got Kids, Need Valium.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

For my followers and to the people who randomly check in on me... thank you! I appreciate you for being so loyal. It means a lot to me that you stop by, and that you take time from your day to read my blog.

The following is my account of the events that happened on Saturday February 27, 2010.

I told my husband that (Friday) night that I thought we should have tuna sandwiches. I made a big bowl of potatoe salad the night before and I really didn't want it to go to waste. In my heart I knew that it would. He laughed it off, and said that we would eat it tomorrow. And then told me, "It's not going to go to waste. " Ha.

We have made a habit of taking the kids to pizza hut on some Friday nights. It's a short walk and we have enjoyed having a taste of the states pretty close by. Everything was as it should be. We laughed, had a good time. And we made fun of the Chileans for running out of straws. The service was how it always is. Slow. But the pizza was delicious. We didn't leave a single scrap .

We walked the short distance back to our high rise apartment building. Resumed our normal nightly routines, and got the kids into bed. There wasn't anything that was out of place. And by that, I am not referring to my cleaning. In fact, everything was pretty calm.

Maybe a little too calm. Who would know that in a few short hours, our lives would be so incredibly shaken that we would be questioning if we would live or die. In my thirty-err **cough**cough** years, I have never thought that I was about to die. Not once.

Sleep is always a beautiful thing. I treasure it actually. It's one of my favorite things. Since having two kids, I realize how much I used to take it for granted. I may have been dreaming. I certainly don't recall it at this point. I just know that I was most definitely sleeping.

Around 3:43 in the A.M. our queen sized bed complete with two grown adults began to slide back and forth on the hard wood floor. Unlike an alarm that you expect to snap you out of your sleep, being shaken so vigorously is an unnatural way to awaken. We looked at each other as we took only a a few moments to realize what was happening. Earthquake.

{Now at this point having been in the country for approximately 20 months, we have experienced some quakes. Those have been like hiccups in comparison to what was currently at hand.}

My husband said only this, "GET THE KIDS!" I didn't speak, I only ran. To Eddie's room. A blissful, young, innocent and unaware sleeping child lay there. I still don't think I spoke. I snatched that kid out of his bed and into my arms. I heard my husband scream from the other room with intense panic in his voice. "WHERE IS ALEXA!!??!!??!!??" I yelled back, "OUR ROOM!" We both ran back to our bedroom, and she still lay there in the bed. Asleep. He grabbed her up and we went and stood in the door frame of the closet. I cannot even put into simple words how violent the movement was. There were noises. Glass was shattering and falling. It didn't sound close. Maybe from a nearby building. Things were falling. The worst most spooky feeling was the back and forth swaying of our building. This earthquake lasted too long. The shaking went on. Eddie clung to me like a little kangaroo hanging on to his mommy. He didn't say a word. But the fear in his eyes was clear. My heart broke into a million pieces in that moment. I couldn't comfort him. I just felt this alertness that made me very quiet. It was a survival instinct.

I was thinking that my husband was standing close by, with our daughter in his arms. If the building started to fall, there was nothing that I could do. I was helpless. I was so small. The earth was so much larger. And this earthquake, at this moment was supreme. It was having it's moment. And all others beware. The shaking, swaying went on. In these moments I thought we were all going to be dead. Or worse, I would live with some of them missing. Those thoughts were the worst thoughts that I have ever had to live through. My heart hurt to even think them.

It was difficult to stand up. I propped my arms against the frame of the closet door. The sound that went along with this earthquake was (to me) like giant boulders rolling around in a metal pan. It was a very intense and deep rumbling. And you may have heard this before, people say that living through something like this is just like the movies. The movies do get it right, but they are unable to convey the feeling. The belief that you are about to die.

Once the shaking stopped, we scurried in the apartment looking for our flashlights. We were standing in total darkness. My estimate was that this quake lasted at least 90 seconds. I still don't know what the official word is. It felt like it went on forever. When we found our flashlights, we ran to the kids rooms and through our drawers looking for clothes to put on. We dressed with lightning speed. We grabbed a liter of water, my husband's briefcase, cell phone, and our passports. We headed for the staircase.

Ed carried Eddie, and I slung 34 lb Alexa up into my arms. We trucked down those stairs at a quick pace. I thought of the people in the twin towers having to run down 10 times the number that we had to. I felt the survival instint that didn't allow me to think about much more. I was fleeing from the building that had caused me so much terror. The building in my mind was a deathtrap. It was where the scariest event of my life had taken place. There is no feeling that feels worse. Nothing could compare.

We exited to the street and were greeted by other terrified faces. People in their pajamas, with blankets, cell phones and scared faces. Their hair was messsy, they looked pale. Shaken. Literally and figuratively. We sat on the ground for a moment to gain composure.

Ed went to grab the car from underneath the building. It was a short walk from where we stood on the sidewalk. We got in and drove to an open space at the park. We sat there for the next 3.5 hours. During this time, we experienced the strongest of the aftershocks (so far to date) at 6.9. It was so much different being in a car, on the ground, than being 13 stories up. It was strong, but still, felt so much better.

We slept. On and off. We watched the lights in buildings flicker. Most stayed off, in total blackness. There were many aftershocks during this time. After this short sleep, and wait for daylight, we went back to the apartment. We gathered some clothing for all of us and left once again. We drove the US Embassy.

I cannot even begin to tell you the incredible feeling of relief that came over me, just when we drove into that parking lot. It felt safe. We arrived there around 10 A.M. (or so) and were able to use the phones to call our families. Unbeknownst to me, my mother in law had heard news of the quake before I was able to inform my parents. They were worried, scared and panicked for hours before I was able to call. But when I did, I know that they were thankful.

It has been 5 days since the incredible 8.8 earthquake. Thank you God for our lives. The epicenter was 200 miles from Santiago. I know in my heart that things would and could have been much different if the epicenter was closer to us. We have felt (at my last count) over 140 aftershocks. My equilibrium has me feeling like I am constantly moving. I'm anxious. And each and every time it happens, I feel nervous, like it is going to get worse.

I can tell you that living through this has given me immense perspective. Those things I once thought valuable or important, meant nothing. And everything that I owned became trash in a moments time. I am alive today. And I am thankful. I will never take one single day for granted. It is a gift. We all need to treasure the time that we have here on earth, with one another. With our families. Everything else is just fluff. We, as beings are important.

Again, I thank God for our lives. For I would not be here otherwise.

My life right now has changed. I've been back to our apartment twice. Both times I have felt scared. And I certainly did not feel safe. We took pictures of the damage. I believe it is pretty minimal when you compare it to the people closest to the epicenter. I cannot live there again. I am happy though. We have news. My husband has a new assignment and we are leaving Chile.

We are coming home to the United States. Nothing pleases me more. Again. Thanks to God and to the many people out there who have prayed for us, for my family. I appreciate it. More than mere words can express.

My kind friends on facebook have given me love and support with their words. Something that I needed in these days since the quake. I don't know what I would have done if faced with silence. It has meant the world to me. I don't know if they will ever truly know what it means to me.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

1. I woke up this morning with this sinking feeling, that I did something wrong last night. I wanted to stay in bed and not get out. Except that the little people were making noise. So goes my duty. Perhaps it was a dream?

2. I haven't brushed my hair all day. I took a shower, yes. But then I put my hair in a pony tail, and it's been that way since.

3. I was inspired by my friend's facebook status to make pancakes. I haven't made them in a while. And man, they were good.

4. The kids asked for hard boiled eggs today for lunch. And avocados. And prunes. They ate it.

5. I've washed 3 loads of laundry, hung them out to dry. (for my new readers, that's the way we do it here in Chile.) And folded two loads that were dry and waiting on me. (Read: hanging since yesterday) Swept the hallways, kitchen, laundry area, master bedroom and bath. Mopped the kitchen and my bathroom. Changed the sheets on the bed. And sat down.

6. I washed the dishes 3 times today. Cooked dinner. Realized that the package of ground beef I took out, was too small for meatloaf. We had spaghetti instead.

7. Eddie complimented me profusely on the taste. He promptly gobbled every bit down. Usually it's a struggle to get Mr. Bird eater to eat all of his food. Alexa is the better eater of the two. She was hard pressed to finish. Go figure.

8. I'm leaving for the states on Monday night. I haven't packed a thing.

9. I still have another load of laundry yet to do. Rugs.

10. Oh, and I cleaned the honey off from the footboard of my bed. Don't ask.

Monday, November 9, 2009

On Monday November 16, myself and the two kiddos will be flying. Yeeeeeeeeeees! It's true. And actually this trip was pretty much a bonus. As it turns out, dh has some kind of a class to attend for a while and didn't want us to stay alone here in Chile. So take a guess where we are going!?

Did ya guess? Did ya? Did ya?? Oh well, that was an easy one. Yes, we are going home to Tucson. Well, you know what they say... home is where the heart is.

Oh looky there.......

Helloooooo baby................. momma misses you! Yes she does. Mommy is going to get in you and drive you and love you and put the windows down, and turn on the music and we are going to go to the mall. And after that, we are just going to go and it doesn't matter where we end up. I love you Chevy babyyyyyyyy. Er. Um. Excuse me. I just really miss driving.

And did anyone check the calendar?? Because I know that I did. Why looky loo there.... it's time for Thanksgiving. Yes. It's time to be thankful for all the wonderful blessings in our lives. And I am greatly blessed. I have an amazing family. I do. Even though we all do not see eye to eye on everything, we are still family. And I love every one of them. I am overjoyed that I have the ability to be able to come back and spend another holiday with them. More importantly, my children and I are healthy. So yes, I have many many things to be thankful for.

Oh hey! In looking at the calendar, did you also notice that I'm arriving just in time for November 20? Can we say holy hotness jail bait! Wow! I can't wait to see this movie.

It's my favorite time of the year. Really. And not just because they are releasing a movie with a bunch of hot guys in it. I swear. I love Turkey day. I can't wait to get my hands on some shopping too. I've been cut off over here. Mainly because the prices here are way higher than in the states. But also, because there is no Target. So it's just not the same.

Yes. That's how I roll. I'm going to put on my red heels, red embellished sweater top, and puffy red skirt, and I'm hitting the big red dot. Or no. I may just wear jeans. But still, Target is on the agenda.

And then after that, I will be going here. Because I love this store too. Why? I just do. So that should be good enough for you. It's good enough for me. And my kids like the weird mannequin people that they have on display. Let's hope they still have them when we go back.

I won't even talk about the food. Let's just not.

So that's all I've got for now. I'm going to go pack some stuff. And drool look at the New Moon posters. Anyone with me on this? Will you be seeing it?

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Why is it that children can and usually do nap when they are in a daycare or preschool setting? And then when they are at home with you, they absolutely refuse.

What is it about letting kids help you bake, that gets them so excited?

How come kids like to wake up earlier on weekends than they do on week days?

Is screaming mommy as scary as screaming daddy?

Is an ipod/iphone as insanely addictive to an adult, as say... xbox/wii/PS is to a kid? Wait a minute. I already know the answer to that question. Maybe my question should be this... how do we stop it?

And for the record, we do not own a wii, xbox, or a playstation. I'm just sayin'.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Before I delve into my posted topic of choice, I just wanted to say that I missed you. I missed my blog, and my readers. And I have really missed writing. I can't say the frequency with which I may be posting again, but I can say that I am here, for now.

So, flying, yeah. Traveling is one thing, but flying with children is an entirely different thing. I'm not talking about hopping on a plane from Ft. Lauderdale to Tampa, as that hardly qualifies as actual flight time. But I'm talking good solid air time of 4 hours or more. Switching planes? Yeah, those are good times. More than two planes? Ah, the fun never ends!

How would you enjoy flying with 2 small children, without the help of a spouse, friend or anyone traveling with you. Doesn't sound too appealing? No? Aww... come on! It's not so bad.

First of all, you want to make sure that you travel with underwear in your purse. (that is, if you are a woman. Otherwise, carry them in a backpack, dad.) They will come in handy. And it matters not that your child is potty trained. You will still need them. Accidents happen, especially when you aren't prepared, or are traveling without underwear on your person for the little people.

You will need to have an arsenal of doo-dads to entertain the kids. Markers, writing pads, crayons, play-doh, stickers, gum, gummy bears, crackers, and thumb-tacks. Whatever keeps them happy, and focused on not screaming, or kicking the man or woman in the seat directly in front of theirs. (I was totally kidding about the thumb-tacks.) Really.

I also like to take along a goody bag of snacks for the plane. Most flights don't offer food, and kids inevitably want to eat. You can purchase a cheese tray on the plane for $4.00 (and they only take credit cards) but little Susy and Michael would surely fight over the one piece of cheese that comes on the said cheese tray. (weird.) But oh well. So I bring my own munchies. If the kids haven't eaten everything entirely in the time that they have been sitting and waiting to board the plane, once you get into the air, they will surely be begging for something.

And if you are thinking or wondering why I would allow them to eat their "plane snacks" before actually being on the plane, then maybe you haven't yet flown with children. Maybe I used them to entice the children off of the furniture that they were leaping off of. Perhaps I used the snacks to keep their mouths otherwise engaged instead of screaming about each and every plane that they saw. I also might have been trying to get through the first of 3 legs of flight and 22 hours until our final destination. So a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.

Oh yeah, and I also recommend that if you have a long flight, or even two or more flights, that your little plane snack goody bag, be big and fat. So that when your kids are behaving like maniacs before even setting foot onto the first plane, it won't really matter if they dig into the bag.

Oh and carry a big purse (or backpack) and make sure it's one you don't mind getting dirty. Now is not the time to bust out your Louis Vuitton, or your brand new Coach. When you jam it under the seat, you will feel bad after the kids start jumping on it, kicking it, or if you spill something on it. So go with something that you wouldn't mind if it took a beating. OK, so snacks and entertainment items are covered. Good. Don't forget the headphones. On longer flights, they do tend to play movies, and the kids can have fun listening to the music or watching the show. If you have a portable dvd player, all the better. Also make sure that your headphones are either childproof, or are ridiculously cheap, so that when your son takes them apart piece by piece, it won't really matter. It only cost you $2 bucks to begin with.

Once the plane is in the air, this is the time that your children will tell you that they both need to use the restroom. So as a rule of thumb, make them go before you board the plane. Now, having said that, and even after I made mine both go, they both still said that they needed to use the restroom. Fun times. Now on one of our last flights, I did have an incident with a flight attendant yelling in my face that I could not take both my children into the bathroom. I won't go into that here. In fact, I did earn a bottle of red wine out of that ordeal from first class, and apologies from the rest of the flight crew.

I have since trained my small kids, that they will be left alone, and not to be scared. They have to buck up, and deal. Whatever that means. But they get it. And they didn't get kidnapped on the plane and taken underneath like that one Jodie Foster movie. (weird) They were both OK. Since I didn't mention it before, anti-bacterial wipes come in handy at this point. Airplane bathrooms are gross, germ infested flying porta potties of doom. Use the wipes for everything and get out as quickly as possible. Sanitize your hands once you reach your seats with your germy stuff that you carry in your purse/backpack.

So, things are progressing smoothly, and you realize that you are only 40 minutes into your 2 hour and 10 minute flight. Lovely. But time does pass, and you ensure your son that you won't fall out of the sky. Because you are optimistic and do believe it's true.

You manage one leg. Arrive safely at the next airport. But not before praying and thanking God for your safe arrival. You must, and I repeat must look around you for ALL of your belongings. As you know, your children don't care about throwing things on the floor. They do it at home, so why should a plane be any different? It's not. check for the books, markers, earphones, your wallet, credit cards, and cell phone. While you were with one of the kids in the bathroom, it is a very good time to snoop through mom's purse (or dad's backpack). Because after all, all the cool stuff is in there. You might be surprised to find something under the seat that you never took out. Trust me on this.

After deboarding the plane with your little ones, and their little drag along suitcases and cutesy teddy bears attached, you will need to find your next flight. Find the bathrooms, and then agree on food. And you never want to stray too far from what your children normally eat, as this could affect their delicate digestive systems, and thus cause you to need those underwear I told you about earlier. I'm just sayin'.

Now, if you can make it through one flight, I'm sure you can get through the rest of them. It gets easier, I promise. I've done this now many times. And I think I'm becoming a pro. You suck it up. You go with it. Kids are not the best little travelers. They have accidents, they drag little bags, and they walk slower than everyone else. They get tired and cranky and they want to whine. They do whine. Other people look at you like you are the devil because your kids are kicking their seat. They shoot you nasty looks in the terminal too because your kids had just been sitting still for nearly 3 hours. But you let them act a little wild, because after all, they didn't throw up on anyone and they didn't scream their bloody heads off. They made it, and they didn't hurt themselves or anyone else. So you can count it a success.

By the time you make it to your 3rd flight, you feel like crap. You are eyeing down the bar with such a strong intense eye, that the bartender starts to pour you a double. And you aren't even inside the doorway, you are just out of reach. The people that give you dirty looks, now become frightened because the look on your face is actually way scarier than theirs. Your children are now climbing the zoo display in Miami international, and the security guard, who thought of approaching you, felt a little intimidated, and turned the other cheek.

You are able to clear a path to the bathroom quickly with a single growl. Children in towe, and swifter than you imagine possible, you are able to strip down a potty trained child, and redress in a moment. Like I said, accidents happen. You praise yourself for being prepared. You scoff, to yourself, how you liked those underwear, as you trash them. (sigh)

For all that you've been through, you still haven't had the most fun yet. Your two previous flights of the day were only a warm up for traveling overseas. Luckily, we weren't headed to Paris. Had we been, I think I would have definitely hit the bar.

Now comes the fun of an overnight flight. Sleeping on a plane with children is very uncomfortable. Long. And well, uncomfortable. That's the best I can say about it. They play a movie in flight. Though the kids won't remain awake for it, it's there if you want to watch. Of course you will need new headphones. If you remember correctly, your son (or daughter) had dismantled the last pair. Or maybe left them under the seat on the last plane. But still. If you can manage to sleep a little on this plane, you are golden. And if your children can sleep, all the better.

What you don't want to hear, as we did on our first flight over, is "code blue, code blue". If you are unfamiliar, a code blue is pretty universal for cardiac arrest. Flight attendants went running, they called for a physician, and I'm thinking, great, emergency landing. But alas, the physician had determined it was not in fact an actual code blue. Had it been one, I'm certain, we would have made that landing.

Anyway, by the time the sun rises, you are ready to die eat. And thankfully, two bonuses on this flight are dinner and breakfast. Though small enough not to qualify, you are thankful that there is anything at all to scarf down. Your kids may have had the best overnight flight to date, and may be louder than entirely necessary for anyone on board at that early of an hour, but again, you stopped caring about 9 and 1/2 hours ago. Not to mention, that as you boarded, the friendly pilot came on the loud speaker to announce that a slight volcanic eruption in SW Colombia has caused them to change your route due to the heavy ash in the air, and has thus added 40 minutes to your flight time. Lovely.

So children, loud? Perky? Happy? Thrilled to have jugo de naranja?? (orange juice) No biggie. And the only ones who really need to adjust, are the single people who have no children, and are annoyed. So at this point, you are again, thrilled to have made it this far. Thrilled to have been tossed a croissant. And grateful that you finally landed at your destination. After praying through the descent and landing, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Can't wait to do it all again. Bring it baby, I'm getting good at this. Maybe next time I will have the wine on board.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Just recently, I had the good fortune to score a meet up with one super talented writer and mommy blogger. I was actually a little bit nervous. Ya know? Like here I am, with my drug induced blog, maybe she wouldn't like me. Or maybe she would have one of those phone calls that people get in the middle of a blind date to save them from some horrible fate of spending countless minutes alone with a boring person. She'd get that phone call and then dash off, leaving me alone with my bottle of wine and Valium. Or maybe she was scared that I might try to offer her some Valium as well. Maybe she was hoping I had some? I don't know. Many thoughts ran through my mind.

Of course when we initially talked, we had made plans to go out without our children. Upon her suggesting that, I was immediately in love with her. For, who knows, only than other mothers what it is like to try and go out WITH your children and have a coherent conversation with anybody? It's just about impossible.

So the night came, and McMommy rolls up to my hotel. The valet swings open the door and the most beautiful girl behind the wheel of the car offers me a huge smile. I jump in the car and we hug as if we've been friends our entire life. We start talking. And honestly, I don't think we ever stopped.

If you read her blog, then you too know how awesome she is. I don't have to tell you that. There is a reason that you keep going back. Well, having met her, I can tell you that she is even more awesome in person. The likability factor just goes up. Is that a word? Well if it isn't, then it is now. And I don't even care.

She's sweet, thoughtful and extremely considerate. The fact that she likes red wine and cheesecake has absolutely nothing to do with it. Nor the fact that I drank most of the wine. I had to. It was in both of our best interests.

So we went to McMommy and McDaddy's favorite little restaurant. I couldn't have been happier that it was nearly storming out. We were going to go elsewhere, but we decided on this little love shack. I say that, because the atmosphere is romantic, cozy, and all that you would imagine of the perfect little Italian getaway.

There was a bottle of wine. There was some complimentary wine. There was a cute young waiter from Brazil. (Was it Brazil?)I mentioned something about my birthday, and then a bit later, the lights dimmed. (I could barely see McMommy) and then our table was surrounded. By men. (Why weren't there any girl waiters/waitresses?) Just curious. But only men surrounded us, and they sang. Happy Birthday! To me! I couldn't even believe it. It's not like I went out of my way to tell everyone. And it really wasn't my birthday. Actually, it had passed roughly two weeks ago. Or so. But who's counting?

I did bring my video camera, and was able to capture some of our evening. I chopped it up, so please forgive my editing skills. There was a lot more, but I do want you to come back and read my blog. If you see me acting like a total goof, then you might really think I am hitting the Valium.

And yeah, I also realize there is a piece of hair in my face. It's bothering me too when I watch the video back. I also meant to say that "I have 4 children in my care and custody" not "4 children in my possession" as I know that you don't "own" children. It's the Cabernet talking. (Really really good Cabernet.)

Sunday, July 12, 2009

I know, I know. The big dog.... A.K.A. "McMommy" from The McMommy Chronicles writes a post that included some things about me and now my little blip of a blog is being checked out. I see you guys!!

Honest, I will work on posting my videos with McMommy soon. But I just wanted to say that my laptop hard drive has crashed. Actually it crashed when I was still in Chile, so we had to wait until we got here to get it fixed.

I also just arrived in Tucson this afternoon. I'm a bit jet lagged and I need some rest. So I wanted to write something so you guys knew that I was still alive. And I didn't forget.

And I don't take it lightly that I just had a hot date with a far beyond outstanding member of the blogging community.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

10. The temperature. I'm cold. It's cold here. It's cold inside my apartment, we have a tiny heater. And my fingers are way too cold to type anything resembling sentences. Here is evidence. We took the kids out the other day. And yes, I realize it's June. But still, Brrr......

9. I'm teaching my cat some new tricks. Like how to stay off the kitchen table, how to hide from a preschooler and a toddler and how not to sleep at the foot of the toddlers bed. It's slow going.

8. I've been reading. Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins. Excellent book by the way.

7. I've also been listening to CDs. Not just music, but "Get the Edge" CDs by Anthony Robbins. Highly recommend. If you have never heard Anthony Robbins speak or read anything by him, I suggest you go immediately to the store and buy something. Go now. I can't wait for you. Just do it. You won't be sorry.

6. I have not been drinking cokes, or eating crappy foods. Well, except for my birthday (June 16) I did have some food that would fall into the crappy category. It was good though.

5. I've been visualizing the beach. We are getting ready to return to the United States. First up, Florida.

1. Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. She has shredded my muscles down to the very bone. I could not lift my fingers to even type the word hello. I invite you to get the shred dvd and hop to it. This chic is hard core. And I am totally not lying to you when I admit that the second day, after trying her workout, I could not walk. I could not sit. And yes, I whinced, in pain for most of the day.

But now that I am 17 days into it, I LOVE her. Anyway. I just wanted to let you know where I was. And also one more teeny tiny thing. I need a break. I've been blogging for quite some time. And right now, I just need to take a little blog vacation. So I thought I'd let you all know that too.

I'm sure you guys may have been there before. Ever? Anyone? Bueller? Well, that's where I'm at. Please feel free to follow me on Twitter. I have an account there, and I check in often. I have a link there on my sidebar to the right. Feel free to give me a shout hello. :) :)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

So, yesterday was my birthday. And I 'claimed' that I would not eat cake. I need to confess. Though I told my husband not to buy me a birthday cake, I did allow him to buy me a slice of cake. This came from the bakery down the road, it's ONE slice of black forest cake. And though it was still cake, it wasn't a WHOLE cake, which would equate to me eating a piece of it every single day until it was gone. This one is already gone, and was enjoyed very much!

And I may or may not have posted this picture here before, but I know I've talked about IKEA stores and their stuff. Well, about 31 days ago, we received some items that I ordered from them. And as I was putting together the shelf, I noticed that the very last piece was broken. I called them up, and thankfully they have an excellent customer service department. They immediately sent out the broken piece. It did take a while, as we are in another country, and the address I had it sent to was kind of a "back door" way for us to get things here.

Here is the finished product. I received the piece and was able to finish it up in about 5 minutes from the point where it was in the above picture. The kids absolutely LOVE it! And so do I! Way to go IKEA for having such good service and awesome products!